Rescue
by Healer Kira
Summary: Luigi is trying to branch out and create a new life for his self, but Mario refuses to allow his brother to leave. Will Daisy be able to help him? Some LuigiXDaisy in the beginning. Warnings: Violence, little Profanity, and Character Death.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this humble fanfic.

Rescue

By Healer Kira

Even when all hope seems lost, remember, there is a dark before a light, a night before the day...

OoOoOoOoO

It was midnight.

Underneath the withered branches of a gnarled old oak tree, a man lay. His legs were hugged close to his chest, forehead on his knees, and the shaking of the man's green shoulders gave away the fact he was crying.

Mario just returned from saving the princess. **Again.** And, per usual, Luigi had been left behind.

It wasn't jealously that plagued the younger brother, no, it was loneliness. Just once, he would like to be noticed, remembered. Mario had jumped off after Bowser without even thinking of Luigi-

Was a simple goodbye too much to ask for?

He shouldn't be so harsh. Mario had taken him on a few adventures before- Big adventures! But then again, half of the times were just mistakes… Like when they went on the trip to defeat Cackletta, even though he had asked repeatedly to go, Mario had refused… then Bowser cut in and sucked him up in his airship.

If the giant koopa king hadn't intervened, he would have never obtained his beloved Thunderhand…

Would it be so hard for his brother to let him get some of the limelight?

Was it so hard for him to let Luigi go out and make a life for his self? Recently, he had heard news of a new store opening in BeanBean town. Job offers had been posted in the Mushroom Times, and Luigi had called- and gotten the job!

How excited he had been… Plus, a small cottage had been put up for sale on the outskirts of the town. He had bought it almost immediately, for a good deal as well.

But, as soon as he had spoken of moving , Mario had nearly jumped down his throat, immediately disapproving of the idea, saying it was completely ridiculous… ever since then, the red-clothed hero hadn't left Luigi alone for a second, as if afraid his younger brother would pack up and leave behind his back. Frankly, Luigi was starting to feel smothered…

Why couldn't his brother get his head out of his arse and let him go! He was tired of being in Mario's shadow all of the time; yet, it seemed like Mario was determined on keeping him there… It was as though he was in a prison.

Luigi's grip on his knees loosened, and slowly, he lifted his head, revealing red eyes and a tear- streaked face. Sniffling, he dried his eyes, sternly admonishing his self for the weakness. He couldn't show weakness now, not when he still had to think of a way to steal away to BeanBean Town.

"Luigi!"

He turned to the source of the sound, and a few moments later, a breathless Daisy ran up, dressed in yellow and orange shorts and tee.

"Luigi!" She exclaimed again, leaning against the oak as she gasped for air. "We've been looking all over for you!"

"Who's we?" Luigi asked, alarmed.

Daisy ignored the question, instead squinting at the man's face with a frown. "Have you been crying? She asked bluntly.

"Daisy, that doesn't matter right now; who's we?" Luigi asked urgently.

Daisy shook her head from side to side, then straightened, smiling at the man.

"Sorry, my mind gets a little scrambled when I'm tired. Me, Mario and Peach have been searching for you for hours; Mario got worried when you disappeared. You know, I probably should to go tell Mario you're okay." She began to walk back down the hill.

Luigi stood and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. His face held a fearful look.

"Daisy, I need your help. I need to get away from Mario, and get to BeanBean Town. Can you help me?" If there was anyone he could trust, it was Daisy.

The princess stared at him quizzically. "Why do you need to get away from Mario?"

Luigi let go of her arm, and turned to face the stars behind him. Daisy took a few steps closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Luigi?" He could hear the worry in her voice, and sighed.

"Daisy, ever since we were children, I was always overshadowed by Mario. He was always considered braver, nobler, and stronger than me. I truthfully didn't mind; yes, at times I was jealous, but I still really didn't think much of it. I wasn't very brave, nor strong at the time. I'm still not."

Daisy started to say something, but Luigi continued on.

"As the years went on, and my brother became known as the hero of the mushroom kingdom, I began to become restless. I didn't want to guard the home front; I wanted to be out, in the thick of it! But though I wanted to go on adventures, my brother refused to allow me. He said I was not trained enough, and that he didn't want his 'little bro' to get hurt."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck absently."Gods i'm getting off track. It's just… well, long story short, I've always been in Mario's shadow, and I'm tired of it. I have a job waiting for me over in the BeanBean Kingdom, and I was planning on leaving a week ago, but Mario… he stopped me. I don't know why, but he says that he will not let me go. Like he still has authority over me! Ever since then, he has rarely left me alone… I had to climb out the window to get here. I would leave now, but I don't have any of my stuff. No money, clothes, nothing…"

"Luigi…"

She tugged at his sleeve and he turned, biting his lip, looking in her face for rejection.

There was none. A gentle smile was resting on her features. "Luigi. Stop worrying. I'll help you."

Surprise flitted across his face. "You… you will?"

"Of course! You're my friend Luigi. Of course I'll help you."

Luigi's uncertain frown slowly morphed into a grin and he impulsively threw his arms around the princess, hugging her tightly to his chest as he whirled around in circles, laughingly elatedly.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

She laughed with him, a joyful twinkling laugh that made his heart pound sporadically. Luigi slowly stopped spinning, and set the girl down to the ground, beaming. "Gods, I can't thank you enough, Daisy."

"You don't have to thank me Weegee; after all, what are friends for?"

Luigi's heart gave a pain throb, but he ignored it, instead giving her another grin before speaking of more somber topic.

"How am I going to get my stuff? I hadn't thought of taking it when I snuck out; there's no way I could sneak back in and get it without Mario noticing."

Daisy bit her lip, looking to the side for a moment before replying, "Do you have everything packed?"

Luigi nodded. "It's all in my suitcase on the bed."

Daisy grinned. "I'll creep in and get it then."

"You will? " "Of course!"

"But… well…" Luigi stuttered. "What?"

"Well if I'm not able to sneak into my own house, how do you think you are?"

"Luigi, do you have any idea how many times I've slipped out of the castle? If I can get past the dozens of guards that patrol my castle, I do believe I can sneak into a defenseless house."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure."

"**Daisy!"**

A call echoed through the hills and the two simultaneously turned to the sound.

"Er, you want to go get that suitcase now?"

"Might be wise."

"Quick question, how will you help get me to the BeanBean Kingdom?"

"I'll tell you at your house."

"Good answer."

Without hesitation, the pair turned and ran from the scene. A few moments later, a man dressed in red arrived. He gazed at the tree for a moment before sighing and taking off north, towards the direction of the Mario Household.

The exact opposite direction that Luigi and Daisy had set off in.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

_As everybody can see, I did not intend for this to turn into a chapter story. It just…happened. I just had an idea of a depressed Luigi, being comforted by a friend. In fact, I actually had to go back and change the beginning to match the rest of the story; that's why it sounds so off. I have not a clue on what this story will turn into- will Mario be evil or possessed by some darker being? Will there be LuigiXDaisy? What role will Peach have in all of this? Bowser? My (very few) readers, I do not know._

_As justification for making Luigi so carefree and relaxed with Daisy, Let's just say they are very close friends. BFF's. They are comfortable enough with each other to bicker. _

_By the way, know that I will NEVER abandon any of my stories. No matter what. If I die, I will update __**from the grave**__. You have my word._

_Anyways, I would be very grateful if the readers reading this would please review, with ideas for that will happen later on, and tips on where I could improve._

_Edit- Yeah, i decided to come and revise this a little. i was tired of it not really fitting in with the rest of the story. Is it better now? Review!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I _**still **_don't own any of the characters from the Mario franchise.

Chapter 2

By Healer Kira

Luigi and Daisy crept silently across the yard of the famous Mario Brother's household. Before them, the two-story cottage loomed ominously.

It had taken a good hour to finally realize they were going the wrong way, and another 2 hours to finally make it here. Luigi was nearly passing out, while Daisy only seemed to enjoy the run.

A light was shining in the kitchen, Luigi noticed with dread. Mario was awake, and no doubt waiting up for news of his "missing" brother.

"Hurry up!" Daisy hissed beside him, grabbing his arm and forcing him faster.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" he retorted, stumbling over the rough ground. "Slow down!"

"We've got to be quick if we're going to make it!"

"Make what?"

"I'll tell you when we get there?"

"Now would be better."

"Nah, I like later more."

They had reached the house. Quietly skirting around the sides of the house, the pair made their way to the left wall, where the Luigi's bedroom window. The two looked up. The window was about fifteen feet off the ground and there were no trees near it, nor any type of plant leading down from it.

"How did you even sneak out in the first place Weegee?"

"Sheet rope."

"Ah. Old fashioned-"

"But effective."

"Yep."

Daisy paced back and forth, staring at the window as if it would tell her what to do. Luigi watched her, a worried frown playing on his lips. "Well, we could, er , just leave the, um, suitcase behind, its just some old stuff I-"

"NO! I will not be defeated!"

Daisy gazed at the window for a few moments more before sighing. "Through the house, it is."

"Wh-what?!" Luigi yelped.

He was immediately shushed, a soft hand placed roughly over his mouth.

"Hush! He's going to hear you! Be quiet!" the princess hissed. Luigi pulled her hand away before whispering,

"Daisy, we can't go through the house! I'll be spotted, and this will all be for nothing!"

"Look, first of all, this is not some kind of recon stealth mission. Mario will not kill you if he sees you."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do actually. Second, there is no **we** in this. _I_ will be going into the house and collecting your things. _You, _will be out here waiting to catch it has I throw from the window."

"I can't let you go alone!"

"You can, and you will. The whole reason for the sneaking part is for you to not be seen, right?"

"Right, but-"

"I'm pretty sure that if you go in the house with me, the chances of Mario seeing you increase dramatically."

Luigi sighed, and shook his head. "… Fine. I know a lost argument when I see it. Go then."

"First, quick question: where did you learn to see sound?"

"Just go already!"

Daisy shot him a quick grin before sprinting off in to the darkness. Luigi stared after her, then shook his head again.

"Women…"

An owl hooted from far off, and the man jumped, his eyes darting nervously from side to side as he leaned against the side off the house.

He let out a shaky breath. "God, I _really _hate the dark."

OoOoOoOoO

The house was silent. The princess soundlessly opened the unlocked door and stepped in, looking from side to side and silently memorizing her surroundings, knowing her plan would require exact knowledge of the house's layout.

She quietly crept across the room with ease, her graceful movements revealing years of practice. Daisy had just made to the stairwell when a light clicked on behind her. Without hesitation she darted up the stairs, never looking back.

OoOoOoOoO

Mario Mario sat back in his chair tiredly, sipping at his cold coffee with a weary sigh. The caffeinated drink did absolutely nothing to perk him up, as expected. Over the years, drinking coffee had become more of a habit than a necessity.

It was precisely 2:39 in the morning. Exactly 3 hours and 39- _40_ minutes since Luigi had disappeared.

He's probably wherever that new job is, he thought disgruntledly.

Couldn't Luigi see life would be so much safer here, instead of out there, in the real world, where people would rob you blind and leave you for dead? Why couldn't he get that through his stubborn head? Luigi was young, **too **young, in his opinion, to be out there on his own.

His little brother was very kind, and naïve, and although that not necessarily a bad thing, it could get him killed! Hurt! Kidnapped!

God, he was making it sound like Luigi was Princess Peach…

Still, Mario knew for a fact Luigi wouldn't be able to survive out there, in real world. That was why he should stay home with Mario. He wouldn't be able to survive without his older brother!

…and frankly, his older brother wouldn't be able to survive without him.

Blast it all... those are the reasons Luigi probably ran away in the first place. Gods... he had acted as though Luigi _wasn't _a grown man, and _couldn't _make decisions on his own.

He glanced at the clock, wincing at the time. **3:00.**

"I'm too old for this..." Mario muttered.

The exhausted man yawned, then stood, pouring his coffee down the sink and stumbling out of the kitchen, not bothering to turn off the light. He should leave a few lights on, just in case…

Through heavily lidded eyes, he flicked the living room light on and staggered up the stairs, gripping the railing tightly. Sleep was the only thing on his mind. Once up the stairs, Mario walked straight to his bedroom and collapsed, asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

He never even noticed that his brother's door was cracked; even though he had left it wide open hours before.

OoOoOoOoO

Luigi shivered, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep out the freezing night air. Sighing, he nervously blew hot air onto his ungloved hands and rubbed them together.

_Gods, what taking her so-_

Before he could even finish the thought, a hard and rectangular object that felt suspiciously like a suitcase fell squarely onto his head, sending him toppling to the ground with a pained yelp.

"OWwWwW!" He hissed, rubbing his head, glaring at the smirking princess leaning on the windowsill.

"Don't be such a baby."

"Well, a warning would have been nice!"

"What's the fun in that?"

He scowled at her for a moment then turned to the object, knowing any retort would be futile. It was, indeed his suitcase.

"Well, at least you got my stuff..." Luigi grumbled. He glanced up to the window.

"Are you planning on coming out anytime soon?"

"Well… about that…"

"One, I told you so, and two, what happened?"

"Almost got caught by Mario."

"Great. Where is he?"

"Asleep."

"And?"

"I'm not sure if it's safe to leave through the house."

"And?"

"You'd make a soft landing."

"What-"

Before Luigi could even realize her meaning, Daisy had jumped out the window and landed directly onto him, toppling him to the ground once more.

"WhY….wHY…" the man groaned. " Why must you hurt me so…?"

"I knew you'd make a soft landing." Daisy smirked, a flash delight in her eyes. Luigi pushed at her weakly and she slid off, ignoring the blush on his cheeks. Luigi did the same.

"So, feel any desire to finally tell me how you're going to get me to the BeanBean Kingdom?" He asked wryly, sitting up gingerly and wincing at the aching in his spine.

"Nope." Daisy started a quick walk towards the woods bordering the backyard. Luigi quickly snatched up the suitcase and fell into stride beside her.

"You sure?"

"…By cannon."

"What?!"

"I refuse to repeat myself."

"Daisy, while I can technically be shot from a cannon, to the BeanBean kingdom, I do believe there is a very small chance I will survive. You know, death from impact and all."

"Do you honestly think that I would try to kill you like that? There _are_ safeguards in place."

"…Okay. Not really sure I believe you, but, okay, why not. Take me to the cannon!"

"It's about five miles through the forest."

"Blast it all."

The princess suddenly started up a quick run and Luigi, caught by surprise, was immediately left behind.

"Daisy!"

"Hurry up Luigi, there's still five miles to go!"

_OoOoOoOoO_

_Gods, I do not like clichés. And unfortunately, I think I used quite a few in this._

_I hope I did okay on this chapter, the only thing I really don't like is my use of "Mario Mario." I really hate what Nintendo says is the brother's last name. I still believe it simply cannot be Mario, so if anyone knows a good LN for the Mario bros., I would be delighted to hear it._

_As always review!_

_Edit: I tried to improve this chapter as well. Put in a few hints, and fix stuff that's going to come later on. Review._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: WHY! WHY CAN'T I OWN NICE CHARACTERS!

Chapter 3

By Healer Kira

The tromp through the forest was long and grueling, to say the least. By the end of it, Luigi was exhausted. Daisy, however, barely seemed winded, dancing over sticks and fallen logs as if they _weren't _going through a dangerous forest in the middle of the night.

"Gods, Daisy slow down!" he grumbled, tripping over a wayward tree root hidden in the dim lighting. His breathing was fast and erotic, and several twigs and leaves were tangled in his messy hair.

She laughed, leaping over another fallen tree. "Oh come on, Luigi. I'm not going that fast. Besides, were almost there!"

Indeed, there was an opening in the multitude of trees before them, and Luigi's heart began pumping even faster. Adrenaline flooded his system. This was it; he was finally going to make it!

It did not take long for the pair to arrive at the clearing. Going at a full sprint, Luigi burst through into the field first, looking around with excitement, and expecting some sort of great machine, but-

There was nothing there. The clearing was completely void of any and all objects. Luigi's face fell, quickly adopting a look of confusion.

"Daisy, what-"

Something hard and jagged plunged into his gut and he fell to the ground with a cry, clutching at his side. Luigi looked down at the wound and gasped; blood was quickly welling through the tattered fabric, through his enclosed hands, and he pressed down harder, then gazed up at his attacker.

Daisy was standing over his fallen form, a barbed, wooden rod held firmly in her hand. A twisted smile was gracing her lips. The pale moonlight seemed to envelope her body, creating quite the terrifying figure.

"Something wrong?" she purred.

"Daisy, what are you doing?!" Luigi nervously tried to move back but stopped, wincing at the agonizing burn in his side.

"Isn't it obvious? I have come to take my revenge." The girl slowly circled around the man, her grin similar to one of a predator who had just caught its prey. "The great Cackletta does not simply allow herself to be tricked so easily, with no retribution."

"Wha-what do you mean?" There was a visible trembling in his limbs, and a quivering note of fear to his voice. "Cackletta is dead."

She laughed. "Do you honestly think that I could be defeated as such? No, I was merely weakened. For five years, I have bided my time, gathering my strength, and planning my revenge."

She stopped and leaned down, morphing the princess face into a twisted leer." The body of the Sarasian princess is now under my control. You, my dear, will be the first step in my revenge."

Cackletta straightened, a peaceful, yet gleeful look overtaking her expression. She casually raised the rod to her shoulder.

"I am going to kill you, slowly, and painfully, then drop your lifeless body at your brother's doorstep."

Without hesitation, she swung downward, barely missing the petrified man. The female gazed at him coolly, staring into frightened eyes with cold red orbs. "Don't be afraid to yell. Out here, there is no one to here you scream."

Before she could attempt to raise the weapon again, Luigi's instincts kicked in. He drew back a blood –covered hand, and punched her straight in the nose, before scrambling up and dashing into the forest behind him. He barely heard the deafening curses the girl was shrieking. All he could focus on was agonizing pain in his side, and the rhythmic beat of his heart screaming '_Run. Run. Run. Run…'_

Luigi tore through bushes and branches with quick, frantic movements, silently praying to any deity she wouldn't catch him…

His prayers went unheard.

A sharp, throbbing pain suddenly ripped through the back of his leg, and he went down, tumbling to the ground with an anguished cry. Cackletta flipped his aching torso over with the rod, then held it at his throat. The twisted smile was still there, only highlighted by the blood dripping down her chin.

"You shouldn't have done that." She whispered. Luigi licked his lips nervously and, remembering what usually works in movies, began to discreetly pat the ground beside him.

_Please work._

She laughed, a demented, terrifying sound and raised the weapon above her head. Just as she did so, Luigi lunged forward and grabbed her ankle, pulling her to the ground and forcing her to drop the weapon.

Without thinking, Luigi grabbed the rod, and with one quick thrust, the rod was through her stomach.

Suddenly, everything just _stopped._

Dark scarlet orbs widened, and bright red lips parted slightly, allowing a trickle of crimson to trail down her cheek. Luigi let go of the weapon and stared, horrified, as the possessed girl fell to her knees. The man scrambled backwards as she fell, face forward, onto the cold ground. Blood welled up out of the wound on her back, quickly forming a pool of scarlet around the princess.

Luigi simply sat there for a while, staring dazedly at the corpse. The corpse who had once been his best friend, his true love.

His best friend, who was now dead by his hand.

A sob escaped his throat. then another, and another, and before long, he was bawling his eyes out.

He had _killed. Murdered _someone, a fellow human being, and not just anyone; his _best friend. _His _crush. _He had even had dreams of marrying her one day…

Eventually his sobs died down and he looked up, wincing as his gaze fell upon the body once more. The injured man tremblingly stood up, leaning against a nearby tree trunk. He gazed upwards; the sun was just beginning to rise.

With nary a look back, the mentally and physically scarred man limped off, a weary slump in his shoulders, and tears streaming down his blood stained cheeks.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoO_

_HAH! BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THAT!_

_Yes, when I first planned this, this was going to be the part where he gets blasted off, but first there's the big love scene, they kiss, yadda yadda yadda. However, I just didn't feel like having that happy ending. Don't worry though, it MIGHT have a happy ending. MIGHT._

_I guess what I don't like about this chapter was the scene where she reveals her evil plans. Just too cliché for me, so I had that little part where everyone thought he was a goner, then it just being an intimidation tactic. Bloody. Hilarious. _

_By the way, I really want your opinion on this this chapter, because when I read over it, I couldn't help thinking "Am I getting off topic, or straying from the plot in this story?" because, well, it was meant to be a sweet little love fic about Luigi and Daisy hooking up, and now look what's happened: Daisy dead and Luigi is severely injured, walking to god-knows where. _

_So PLEASE, review!_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: …I don't own any of the characters…*sniff*…*goes and sits in emo corner*

Chapter 4

By Healer Kira

He couldn't tell you for how long he walked. He couldn't tell you of where he was, where he had been or even if he was tired. He really didn't think. Thinking only brought pain, misery, and memories of the past. So he didn't. He focused only on taking one step at a time; one step with good leg, then quick limp-step with bad one that was supposed to hurt. But it didn't hurt. It felt numb. At least, he thought so. But then he'd remember thinking was bad and he'd stop, not thinking, but still thinking. He wasn't quite sure about it.

He just kept his eyes downward and feet moving. Maybe. Sometimes he wasn't quite sure of that either.

It was only when the soft sand beneath his bare feet (he wasn't quite sure when he had lost his shoes) turned into hard, rocky gravel did he start to come awake. He still didn't think (why go through such pain?), but for the first time in days, he looked up, allowing his surroundings to occupy a portion of his exhausted mind as his feet trudged on, and on.

It was similar to a barren wasteland. Green pipes were located to the right of the pathway he treaded, and to the left, a large castle-like structure loomed. He felt his head droop back down, and he accepted it in silence. He watched as the ground cut off from a rocky purple soil into a soft red carpet. A desire deep within him wanted to stop and feel its blissful soothing touch, but he squashed that longing almost immediately. He couldn't. If he did he would feel again, and feeling was bad. Maybe. He wasn't sure.

"Whoa there! Stop!"

He stopped, wearily looking upwards to see who spoke. It had been long since he had heard.

Two koopas with black shells and helmets stood before him. He gazed at them, not sure what to do.

"Er.. what happened to ya?" one asked. He wasn't sure which.

He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but only a soft rasp came out. Quickly and painfully clearing his throat, he forced his self to speak, a strange experience for one who was not sure.

"Not sure."

The two glanced at each other, an action he missed as his head drooped again.

"Do you-"

" Wait! I recognize him!"

He flinched at the sudden exclamation.

"It's Luigi! You know, Mario's bro!"

Luigi?

…he was Luigi, wasn't he? Luigi the weak, Luigi the cowardly, Luigi the _murderer…_

The two Border Bros (he remembered), were now asking him something. Stuff. Po-tat-tos? No, questions, _Luigi, _questions.

The man was swaying back and forth, his overworked body shutting down after days of never stopping movement.

He remembered he never confirmed the koopa's declaration. That wasn't polite, was it? He wasn't sure.

"I think I am." He mumbled dazedly.

The man had passed out even before his body hit the floor.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was early. The next day. And Luigi was still not home.

Mario was beyond worrying now. He was panicking, pacing back and forth across the living room carpet. As Luigi would have said, Mario was wearing a hole in the carpet.

His heart gave a painful throb at the thought.

After another half-hour of pacing, he had finally had enough. He'd had the whole conversation mapped out, all in his head, from beginning to end, but screw it. How could he have a conversation with someone who had never come back?

'_God, why had I been such an idiot?'_, Mario couldn't help thinking as he packed a small bundle of medical supplies. '_There's no telling where he could be now!'_

He would go to Grass Land first, then to the BeanBean Kingdom. Toad had told him of a new chain of stores opening in both of the lands, so that's where he would go. Luigi had spoken of acquiring a job…

It didn't really matter now. All that mattered was that he'd find his baby brother soon.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Ah, I enjoyed writing 2:30. In the morning. _

_Why do I keeping writing chapters late at night?!_

_Anyways, you'll notice that it's a bit shorter than usual. I just thought that it would a good place to end._

_Now that summer break is here, I might be updating something almost every day (bar the weekends)._

_Anyways, review with feedback and tips!_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Do you really think Nintendo would sue me if I forgot to put a disclaimer? Don't they have enough money already?

Chapter 5

By Healer Kira

Luigi didn't know they started, but when they did, they were _terrifying._

Dreams…. _Nightmares_ of horrifying things came to him, tormenting him with images of _blood _and, _death_, and _pain_. He tried to fight back, to send them away, but how could he? Arms of steel held him each time he thrashed, and fed him… soup? No, they weren't nice, they weren't kind… why would they be kind, to vermin, murderers, like him? No...whatever it was, it had to be bad…. So he fought the gentle hands, and forced his self not to listen when they spoke with kind words, and gentle gestures. It was a trick, it had to be…

But then one day, the nightmares started to fade… for small, wonderful periods of time, he could_ feel_. Luigi could feel the soft, welcoming touch of the bedspread beneath him, the enormous pillow that cushioned his weary head, and the amazing weight of food in his belly… yet, he dreaded each time he felt, for he always felt the excruciating stab of pain, throbbing throughout his legs and torso…

Luigi always did his best to ignore the agony. He tried to focus on the wonderful feeling of just a soft touch, but of course, soon that blissful time would pass and he would be sucked back into the horrible world of nightmares. He scratched and clawed and begged but it never made any difference; if anything, it made the pain worse.

So he stopped struggling, and just enjoyed the time he had without nightmares; and when the time came for him to return to the horrible dreams, he went with not a bang, but a whimper.

OoOoOoO

"Hey bro, I think he's waking up!"

"You sure? He could just be dreaming again."

"Nah; he's waking up! Come look!"

Luigi scrunched his eyes in confusion at the two voices; what's happening? He had awoken many times, but never had he heard the two's words in such clarity…

Biting his lip nervously, the man took a risk; he slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the brightness shining overhead.

"Turn the light off; you're blinding the poor fellow!"

"If I turn it off, we won't be able to see!"

"Then at least cover it up!"

The blaringly bright light was dimmed, and Luigi was allowed to see, blinking several times as he reviewed his surroundings.

He was in a small, earthy room, with a small kitchen situated in one corner, and two armchairs in another. It looked similar to a small, one room apartment.

He looked to the two koopas beside him, staring at him eagerly, and realized he had not yet spoken.

"Where am I?" his voice was hoarse and soft.

The one the left spoke up. "You're at the Border! You know between the Mushroom and BeanBean Kingdoms?"

The other koopa spoke up." I do believe knows the border. He has been here before." he looked at Luigi, a questioning look in his eyes. "You walked in here about a week ago and just collapsed."

"A week ago?!"Luigi tried to sit up, but was immediately assaulted by a bout of dizziness. The border bro who had spoken stood, gently pushing the man back onto the bed.

"Calm down man, you're still pretty badly injured."

"A week ago?" he repeated dazedly, allowing his self to be pushed back down into the pillows.

The koopa nodded, returning to his seat. "Yeah, you were pretty badly hurt. We weren't sure if you would pull through for a while there." He paused, fixing Luigi with a piecing look. "Do you have any idea what, or _who _attacked you? "

Luigi looked down at the faded blue bedspread, tears springing to his eyes. Oh, he remembered all right. He remembered his best friend, looking down at him with a cruel smile, her beautiful sapphire eyes morphing into red orbs of amusement. He remembered her falling to the ground, blood slowly dripping from the hole in her stomach down to the crimson covered ground…

He bit his lip abruptly, forcing his self to return to reality. He couldn't dwell on it; he had to concentrate on now.

Luigi looked up again, meeting the border koopa's eyes, and not bothering to blink away the wetness. "I- I don't remember. It happened so suddenly. My friend…"

He choked up a bit, and tears spilled over his cheeks. He returned his gazed downward.

"…she was killed. I barely got away myself."

One of the koopas gasped, but he ignored it. "I was really just going on in a daze when I made it here. Trying not to focus on what happened I guess."

There was an awkward silence, then the border bro who seemed just _slightly_ hyperactive spoke.

"Well are you hungry? Thirsty? You've been out of it for a while, and it might be wise for ya to eat."

Luigi looked up, a timid but grateful smile on his face. "If you have any to spare, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course, we have plenty! Louis just went through the tunnel yesterday."

He was already up and at the kitchen, preparing something on the small gas stove.

"You know, I don't believe we've never introduced ourselves." The one beside him was smirking, leaning back in his chair with arms crossed.

"I'm Louis and that weirdo over there is Sam."

"Hey, who are you calling a weirdo!" Sam retorted indignantly.

Luigi watched the twos bickering with a smile; it reminded him of him and Mario's frequent arguments. He wondered absently what his brother was doing right now; was he at the princess's castle, enjoying a happy evening with Peach? Was he at home, relaxing and watching the TV?

…Was he out somewhere, looking for Luigi?

For some strange reason, he almost wanted it to be the latter, instead of either of the formers.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_Well there you have it,_ _a nice little chapter about him on his way to recovery. Is it bad I finished this about 9 hours after I posted the last? _

_No matter what, I'm still happy(this is the longest story I've ever written)._

_Does anybody have any suggestions for what could happen next? I _

_REVIEW!_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I must admit, with a heavy heart, that I will never, ever, own Nintendo, therefore I will never own Mario, or Luigi. *quietly mourns in the emo corner* "WHY!" *quietly*

Chapter 6

By Healer Kira

Toadworth, royal advisor of the Mushroom Kingdom sighed wearily as he looked over his notes, a headache already forming at the edge of his vision. It had been a long and tiring day, filled with worrying and paper work.

Mario and Luigi were reported missing a week ago, and if that wasn't bad enough, Princess Daisy, of the neighboring country of Sarasaland, was also reported missing, a day after the brother's disappearance. Peach and generally the entirety of both kingdoms were panicking; the last heir to the Sarasian throne had vanished, and the two people that could find her were nowhere to be found. Several search parties had been sent out from the two kingdoms, yet no results had been found.

Truthfully, Toadsworth was not worried about the brother's disappearance; it was common for them to be called off on adventures, heroic deeds, and the like. And Princess Daisy? She had been known as the "royal tomboy" for years now. It was probable she was off with the brothers, laughing at all the trouble they frequently got into.

No, what was giving Toadsworth his current pounding headache was the treaty that the whole castle had been speaking of for months.

For the past year, debates of finally ending constant war with King Bowser were held, gathering some of the most intellectual minds in the kingdom to come and express their opinions. While many were for the idea of a pact, a few spare still remained stubborn, insisting Bowser was too much of a cold-hearted beast to even consider it. Princess Peach, while distraught about the disappearance of her friends and heroes, spoke at each conference with great wit and determination. During one of the more recent discussions, she declared,

"This treaty must be written. I am tired of being helpless, and tired of being looked down upon simply because I cannot defend myself against an enormous beast who wishes to take my kingdom and make me his bride. I refuse to be defenseless anymore, and if this treaty is what it takes to earn my place as the rightful queen of this kingdom, then let it be done!"

While there were still stubborn protesters, after her declaration the council voted unanimously in the favor of treaty.

He, Toadsworth was given the honor to write the treaty, as well as deliver it. No matter that he hadn't volunteered, or had remained stubbornly neutral in the issue, he couldn't help thinking.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his study door. He didn't even look up, calling a soft,

"Come in!"

Toad walked in, a gray bundle of papers held tightly in one hand.

"Er….have you seen todays paper sir?"

The boy seemed fidgety and nervous, quite a stretch from his usually cheery and youthful self. Toadworth turned in his chair to look at the lad, a comforting smile playing on his lips while worry shone in his dark eyes.

"No I haven't. What's the matter?"

Toad bit his lip, and slowly held out the newspaper. His hand was shaking.

Toadsworth carefully took the newsprint from him, unfolding the wrinkled paper. All of the blood drained from his face as he read the headline.

**PRINCESS DAISY FOUND MURDERED!  
Could the younger Mario brother be responsible?**

_**The corpse of Princess Daisy, heir to the Sarsaland throne, was found in the expansive Lost Woods yesterday morning, stabbed in stomach, and her body ravaged by animals. There is no official statement regarding her killer, however in an interview with police chief Ralph Herman, he released, "Although the evidence is still being processed, you know, er, fingerprints and the like, I will say there was several scraps of green fabric scattered on the body. "  
When asked about the murder weapon, he replied, "That's the strangest thing about this case. There is no weapon. Whoever this killer in green is, he must have taken the weapon with him, and is probably planning to do this again."  
This brings us to another question: Who is this mysterious man in green? After much research and statistics carefully studied by this reporter, it is found that the only person in the Mushroom kingdom who wears the color green on a daily basis is none other than Luigi Mario, younger brother of the famous hero Mario Mario.  
While having a fondness a certain color is not something that holds up in a court of law, there are a few other incrementing details that seem to draw the suspension toward the younger Mario bro.  
Luigi and Daisy were known to be very close throughout the land, and at the time of the murder, Luigi Mario was reported missing, by his older brother. Why was Luigi missing? Where was he? Was he out, murdering the princess?  
For more, go to page 2, MURDER.**_

Toadsworth read through the article once, then twice. He simply couldn't believe it. The Princess dead? Luigi under investigation? This was madness! why hadn't he been told!? How could they think that such a moral and pleasant young man was responsible for such a crime?

He jumped out of his seat, ignoring the aching creak of his bones, and snatched up his coat and cane, storming to the door.

"Where are you going sir?" Toad squeaked, looking as worried as ever.

"It's nothing, my boy, just something I have to take care of."

That blasted treaty could wait, first, he had to speak to the ambassador of Sarsaland, no doubt the desert dweller has already received the morning paper. He'd have to clear things up, reassure the man that the killer was certainly not from the Mushroom Kingdom. The last thing they needed was a war on their hands…

Afterwards, it was to the press, and then, he'd have to speak to that dratted police chief. Honestly, shouldn't the man know not to give interviews to the press by now? And hinting that it was the fault of such a kind man…

But, as Toadsworth stormed through the castle, a small, quiet voice whispered over and over,

"_Did he do it?"_

"_Did he?"_

OoOoOoOoO

Deep, deep down in the horror land of the Underwhere, the defeated spirit of Cackleletta sulked, growling into the silence of the cell she had been forced into.

…_Impossible! I simply can't believe that weakling of a man defeated me! By my own weapon none the less… I was foolish, and overconfident, sure that the extra power I had taken from our deal would see me to success… but no matter! I don't need silly deals, to make empty promises to the queen of the prison I am held in… I will escape… and I __**will**__ have my revenge…._

And so, the evil spirit began to plan…

_OoOoOoOoOoO  
Yeah, so I had to use Mario as a last name again. I've decided to believe their last name is Mario and Luigi Segale. (It makes more sense than Mario and Luigi Mario, anyways.) But I will use Mario in this story._

_So, as you can tell, I had a hard time writing this chapter. Reviews are welcome, because I'm really not sure how I did on their government and the news article. The news article was very suggestive, because I wanted to make it sound as if a lot of sheeple believe he is guilty. Will there be a trial? It depends on if Luigi goes on with his original plan and heads on to BeanBean Town, or if Mario finds him first._

_On the last bit, I wanted to show where Cackleletta is. My theory is she made a deal with Queen Jadyes to escape. What did she trade for freedom? No idea. Will she escape? Probably not. I don't really plan to have her show up at all in the rest of the story. _

_Review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Nintendo, disclaimers, or any words of the English language.

Chapter 7

By Healer Kira

Childhood is a short season.

OoOoOoOoO

"You ready for this?" Louis asked him, staring into the man's eyes with his patented 'serious' look

Luigi attempted a weak smile, nodding as he pushed off the covers and swinging his legs over the side of the bed with a wince. Today was the day he was finally allowed to try and walk.

For the past four days, he had been staying with the two koopas who guarded the border between the Mushroom and BeanBean Kingdom. Truthfully, he could say he was happy where he was. Louis and Sam were fun, and generally cheerful people, doing their tedious and most likely boring job with pride and enthusiasm.

While Luigi tried to help out as much as he could, the pair would often rebuff his attempts, Louis distracting him by starting a enthralling debate on some trivial topic, or Sam trying to get his opinion on prank ideas. Plus, no matter how many times he endeavored to thank them for their care, they refused to allow, merely repeating, "You would've done the same for either one of us." It was true, he had to admit.

Yet, the thing Luigi most loved and appreciated about the bros was the fact they never questioned his story. He was sure they knew it was a fake; far into the night, after waking up as a result of the nightmares, he would hear them talking, speaking so softly that he could barely hear them over the sound of his own breathing. But, although they wondered, they never asked, never pried. For that, Luigi was grateful.

Louis took his arm and carefully guided him off the bed, and Luigi sucked in a deep breath when his legs hit the floor. They went in a long circle around the room, Luigi panting, but still straining to force his weight off of Louis. As they neared the bed, Lou began to give his diagnosis.

"That gash has almost healed up, if you keep exercising, you can be back to your usual jumpy self at the most, in a month."

Luigi collapsed back on the bed, smiling at him tiredly.

"Now that I can walk a little, will you take your bed back?"

They'd had many arguments about this; Luigi worried that he was being a burden and the bros reassuring that one had to guard the border every night anyway.

"Not a chance Lu, we don't need the bed anyways, it's there just in case."

The bedridden man smile widened, and he leaned back into the pillows with a sigh of relief, replying,

"Maybe one night I can guard the border, and you can both get a break."

Louis snorted.

"It's_ our_ job, Lu. Not yours. "

"Still, everyone deserves a break."

"… True. I might take you up on that offer some day."

"Looking forward to it."

Both of them fell silent, just enjoying the peace.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Mario was utterly exhausted. He had traveled to the Grassland, and it had been a complete waste of time.

There were no jobs awaiting in the Grassland; there weren't even buildings! There was only grass, very dry grass for miles around. He had trudged around the barren land for two hours before finally checking his map, and guess what? The entire kingdom was underground. Underground!

After another three hours of trying to find an entrance to the secret city, he finally gave up, laying down a pallet and was now staring up at the sky, watching the stars with weary eyes.

As soon as the sun rose, he was going to hike to a warp pipe just on the outskirts of the kingdom. It would take him directly to Hoohoo Village, where he could investigate from there. Hopefully someone would be able to tell him _something. _

Mario sighed, absently picking out his favorite constellations in the clear night sky. Luigi and him used to do this all the time; just sit outside and look at the sky. Weegee used to be such an astronomy fan, he thought fondly. He was always on top of all the amazing events that happened with the stars, and such. Mario hadn't really been that interested in it, really only paying enough attention to know a few basic constellations.

The Big Dipper, he thought, tracing the pattern with his pale blue eyes. Ursa Major, Minor, Gemini…

He paused, staring at a three-stared constellation with a strange intensity.

Orion…

That was his favorite one, Orion and his belt. When they were still little and mom and dad were still alive, that was his preferred bed-time story, the story of Orion and his many adventures. He could see his brother now, eagerly clambering into bed and repeating "Orion! Orion!" over and over. Moma would laugh, and then tell it again, weaving a tale of adventure and courage, that somehow never failed to send them to sleep at the end.

Mario sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. When did it all go wrong? When his parents were killed? When they both were forced to watch them die on that cold marble floor? Or maybe when he immediately charged after that villain, thirsty for revenge, while his little brother stayed and clang to their bodies, feeling them bleed out in his arms?

A tear escaped from under his clasped eyelids and he roughly wiped it away, reminding his self of the familiar saying he tried to live by.

_Hero's don't cry,_ he scolded halfheartedly, _heroes are always strong._

But yet, tears still managed to trickle down his red, dirt-stained cheeks as he laid under the stars, mourning the childhood that was lost.

_OoOoOoOoOoO_

_A update on what Mario's doing, and, how Luigi's healing is going on. Delightful._

_The next chapter will probably be a political one(its defiantly a political one ;I've almost got it completely written), but I may also tell Mario where his brother actually is._

_Review!_


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I am I a billionaire? No. That says it all- I do not anything from the Mario franchise.

Chapter 8

By Healer Kira

"If you want something said, ask a man...if you want something done, ask a woman."

OoOoOoOoO

The room was quiet, the silence only broken by the occasional sipping sounds as the two officials drunk their tea. Toadsworth fidgeted nervously, his mind desperately racing to find a way to break the news to the desert dweller. Ambassador Zenobia looked at him coolly over her tea, watching impassively as the silence dragged on, with neither of them speaking. Finally, she raised an eyebrow, and spoke, a slight accent dancing at the edge of her words,

"So Advisor Toadsworth , as much as I would like to believe this is merely a social visit, recent circumstances lead me to believe otherwise."

The elderly man gulped down another nervous swallow of his tea.

"I trust you have received today's paper?"

The dark-haired female quirked an amused smile, much to his surprise.

"Indeed I have. Quite the amusing front-page article, hmm?"

He was barely able to keep his surprise hidden. Suspension set in.

"I'm not quite sure how the supposed death of your princess can be amusing."

Zenobia laughed gruffly, throwing her head back mockingly as her single braid bounced jauntily at the action.

"It is amusing, for that was not the princess."

"Oh?"

"Princess Daisy is currently at the palace. She is, for lack of a better word, 'grounded' for attempting to sneak out of the castle after nightfall."

Toadsworth paused, taking another swallow of his almost gone tea as he processed the new information.

"I see."

The ambassador smiled a superficially, her pale silver eyes seeming to almost bore into the elderly man before her.

He laid his cup back down to its plate and set it back on the sandy brown table he was sitting at. He slid off his seat, faking a weary smile as he grabbed his cane.

"I do believe I must be going. I still have plenty of things to attend to, but I enjoyed the visit."

Ambassador Zenobia copied his actions, standing up as well and showing him to the door.

"As did I. Perhaps we will have to arrange a meeting again someday."

Toadsworth nodded politely, striding out the door with a cheerful wave and goodbye.

The short visit had been enlightening, though stressful. At least now, he wouldn't have to worry about the strain of the death of a princess on the political ties with Sarasaland.

However there was just something that told Toadsworth that the female ambassador wasn't quite being truthful…

He shook it off, to the protest of some of his finer instincts. After all, why would the ambassador lie?

OoOoOoOoOoO

Zenobia sighed in relief when the inquisitive advisor finally left her quarters. It was a blessing to finally be alone after so many meetings, debates and such. Plus, she could finally begin to work on her mission: Find the princess.

Princess Daisy had been kidnapped exactly 3 weeks ago, on the night of the full moon (they were still investigating if that had any connection with her abduction). Who kidnapped her, they had no clue. IF she had been kidnapped, they had no clue. All the royal family knew was that she was gone, and that all evidence pointed to capture.

Laying the newsprint out on the table they had recently abandoned, she studied the picture closely, trained eyes judging whether it was her target. A moment later, she retreated, smiling, a sound of amusement bubbling from her chapped lips. It wasn't the princess; the imposter in the photo was perfect, **too **perfect. The real Princess Daisy had a small mole behind her left ear, as well as a scar a half-inch long on her left shoulder where she fell out of a tree at age 9.

The female let out a deep breath before flinging on the hood of her signature dark brown cloak. She needed answers. How was the imposter made? Who made it? How was it killed?

Some skulls were going to be bashed, and some answers were going to be found.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Mario trudged through the field tiredly, dry grass crunching his worn boots.

At his last check of the map, he was a good 3 miles from the warp pipe. Frankly, his temper was beginning to spark. He had made the entire journey here _on foot, _only to find a barren plain of emptyness. Furthermore, let's just say the endless sights of nothing could grate on a man's nerves after a while.

There was a quiet mumbling ahead of him. Utterly exhausted and bored out of his mind, he pricked up his ears as he walked closer.

"Hey, have you heard what happened to that Luigi guy?"

Mario instantly became more aware, but kept his pace slow and steady, walking toward the voices with a weary hunch in his shoulders.

"No, what happened?"

"Well you see… hey look there's his brother!"

"Sss man! We need to run?"

"Nah, look at him! He won't cause no harm. As I was saying, I heard from my buddies over in Westfield-"

"You mean the ones in that place with all the trees?

"Yeah man! Well, I heard they saw him kill a girl!"

"Kill her?"

Mario was very close to the two now, and he could see they were gophers, small and annoying, but useful for information if you had the right things to trade.

Unfortunately for them, the man was in no mood to sit down and have negotiations.

In one swift pounce, he had them both in his hands, wriggling and scratching his arms as they tried to escape.

"Hey! What's the big deal?" The spotted creature shrieked indignantly.

Mario regarded him coolly, the dark circles under his eyes from the many nights of sleeplessness giving him a terrifying look.

"Stop struggling, and we can all get through this nonviolently."

The barely concealed threat worked wonders, the irritating rodents freezing and looking at their captor with no small amount of fear.

"Good. First of all you will tell me two things; one, where my brother is, and two, the quickest way to get to him. Cooperate, and we can all be on our merry little way."

The two turned to each other, and almost immediately came to a consensus. They looked back at Mario,speaking at the same time,

"The Border!" "Sarasaland!"

The two looked at each other, surprised. The spotted one reacted first, yelling in his squeaky voice,

"What the hell man! You're not supposed to tell him the truth!"

"Well I, for one want to live!"

Mario looked on with annoyance as the two argued amongst themselves. He cut in abruptly.

"Which one is true." It was not a statement, it was demand.

Both of them quieted at once. After a few moments, the grey rodent spoke up.

"The Border." He spoke meekly.

Mario dropped them back on the ground, ignoring their squeaky mutterings as he did. He knew where his brother was, and that's all that mattered.

_I'm coming bro._

_**OoOoOoOoO**_

_Er… I need help. _

_A few of the keys on my computer keyboard are broken, because I accidently spilled some coffee(I type late at night, give me a break!). I got the coffee out, but does anyone know how to fix these keys?_

_I could really use some help._

_Until I figure it out or someone tells me how, I'll have to copy and paste the characters._

_So yeah, review. PLEASE. _


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I wish I owned newspapers, so I could them print stuff that is true and not incriminating. But I don't. Just like I don't own Nintendo, or I would let Luigi get more limelight.

Chapter 9

By Healer Kira

The past is strapped to our backs. We do not have to see it; we can always feel it.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Sam read the front page news article again, almost refusing to believe his eyes.

Luigi would never, ever, do something like this. In the short time that he had spent with the man, he had found out that Luigi was too kind and gentle to kill a _bug_, much less a person.

He'd have to tell Louis about this. Oh God, how was his bro going to react? Him and Luigi were so close… while his bro was usually calm, if he was riled… What would he to Luigi?

Blast it all… as much as he wanted to throw the paper in the bin right that second, he couldn't. Lou had to know. What would happen if he found out later and found out Sam had kept it from him? It would only do more damage in the end.

… he would tell him tonight, when Luigi was asleep. Maybe the image of a peacefully sleeping trauma victim would encourage him to not cause even more damage to the man. Sighing, Sam began to tuck the paper into his pocket- a place he _knew _he would never look- before pausing and resolutely placing it on the counter, article face down.

Then, he joined his brother and guest on the other side of the room, speaking avidly with a cheerfully faked smile.

OoOoOoOoO

Luigi dropped off to sleep at around 10, Louis finally forcing him to lay down when he literally nodded off in the middle of a sentence.

They were now sitting comfortably at the kitchen table, both sipping on the warm black coffee they usually drunk at this hour, before taking their shifts .Louis was leaning back in his chair, his eyes shut, patiently pretending his partner wasn't currently staring down at his coffee and fidgeting in his seat, odd behavior for the usually annoying cheerful koopa.

When the clock struck 11, with neither of them having said anything, Sam gulped and nervously cleared his throat.

"…You awake Louis?"

The koopa in question cracked open one scaly eye, gazing at Sam with amusement.

"I am now." He leaned forward and his chair legs hit the floor. He never broke eye contact as he placed crossed arms on the creaking wooden table.

"What's got you so jumpy tonight?"

Sam gulped again, before shakily getting up and grabbing the newspaper sitting ominously upon the counter where he'd left it. Nervously spreading it out on the table, he sat back down, watching anxiously for his bros reaction.

Louis barely glanced at the paper.

"Yes?"

"You've read the article?"

"Yes."

Sam wasn't exactly sure what to say, so he simply stared. Louis leaned back in his chair, sighing.

"I don't believe he killed that girl. Luigi is just too, well, innocent to have done it. Besides, you and I both know they were close- close enough to be a couple."

It was true. It was common knowledge that the two spent lots of time together- how many times had the tabloids and magazines printed articles screaming: "PRINCESS AND COMMONER SEEN TOGETHER! Could they be a couple?" and other things of that nature?

"Even if he did kill her, it was most likely-"

"Like the incident with Lacy?"

Sam regretted bringing it up as soon as he said it.

"… Yeah. Just like what happened with Lacy."

Louis' expression was pained . Sam wanted to let the conversation drop, but,

"Should we get him talk about it?"

"…Yes, but not yet. We should wait and see if his brother comes; from what I've heard of Mario, he'll come, faster than it's possible. Until then, we'll wait and see if he'll bring it up on his own."

The old grandfather clock rang 12, and Sam stood up abruptly, gulping down the rest of his coffee.

"I… guess I need to head up."

Louis merely nodded, too lost in his own memories to reply.

OoOoOoOoO

It was at times like this Zenobia really wish she had a license to kill.

She glared down at the mushroom man quivering before her, disgust radiating from emerald eyes, the only thing visible from under the hood of her cloak.

"I have been very patient with you," She hissed, her gruff voice only making the sound more terrifying, "Tell me what you know or I will be forced to use other means."

The man quivered even harder, but stubbornly stood his ground. Zenobia mentally sighed, before brutally ravaging through his mind, taking all the information he ever knew.

A few moments later, it was done. She dropped him to the ground. He barely twitched, muttering under his breath words she knew from experience were mere gibberish.

At least she knew where her target might be held.

Zenobia strode out the room and into the bar, making her way back on the streets. There was no time waste; the princess' position wasn't entirely dangerous, per se, the female just really wanted to get back to her home country, and away from this awful place of fungi.

With that thought, she departed, heading towards the cells of Mushroom Castle.

_OoOoOoOoOoO_

_Sorry if it is a bit late; I forgot if I uploaded yesterday, so I went ahead and posted Chap. 8, setting me behind. _

_By the way, I would like to thank everyone who's reviewed. You people bring a smile to my face every time you acknowledge a special plot twist, or appreciate the scenes I work really hard on. __  
Thank you._

_And the keyboard issue? It's not fixed, but I can live with it. Most all of my keys are fine, it's just one._

_So can anyone guess what happen with Lacy? And what's with Princess Daisy in the Mushroom castle dungeon? And Zenobia's ability to enter minds?_

_Review!_


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I used to dream a dream of hopes gone by… that one day, I would own, Nintendo… But that dream was crushed and now I tryyyyyyy!... to write fanfiction, though it's, horrible…

Chapter 10

By Healer Kira

Although the past may be painful, filled with horror and misery, hope can be found in the darkest of times.

But not always.

_OoOoOoOoOoO_

"_Come on Lou!" _

_Lacy laughed, the melodic sound echoing off the walls of uncut stone as the koopa dashed into the hidden tunnel. Louis easily caught up with her, a slight pant to his breath. He shot her a crooked smile._

"_We aren't supposed to be down here. The King'll kill us if he hears us, so it's recommended to quiet down." _

_She sent him a look, but never the less, her next words were quieter. _

"_I've found the perfect place up ahead; there, they'll never find us. We can practice it all we want!"_

_There was a slight chill to the air, slowly increasing as the pair traveled farther and farther underground. A rumble sounded from far _

"_One question- why wasn't Sam allowed to come? He's going to find out everything anyways- he __**is**__ my partner." _

"_I never said he couldn't come."_

"_Actually you did. Quote,' Can he, um, not come,-it's not that I don't like him, it's just well, I just like you more, and -"_

_He spoke in a high falsetto, mockingly pouting his lip and fluttering his eyelashes._

"_Okay, okay, maybe I __**did **__say he wasn't allowed to come. I didn't hurt his feelings did I? I just thought it'd be nice to show you first, ya know? I didn't mean-"_

_Louis cut her off, giving the female a reassuring smile. _

"_You know you didn't hurt his feelings. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's thinks we're coming down here to- you know."_

_He raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Lacy blushed, playfully nudging him in the side._

_It was now freezing, and both of the koopas could feel it, despite the fact they' had been jogging for the past few minutes. Lacy shivered._

"_Don't remember it being this cold when I first came down here…" she murmured worriedly. Louis smiled at her. _

"_It's nothing, and you know it. The winter is coming; and we're miles underground. Stop worrying so much."_

_She smiled at him happily, before exclaiming, _

"_There it is!"_

_Lacy raced ahead, leaving a startled Louis in the dust. _

"_Hey! Wait up!"_

_OoOoOoOoO_

Louis snapped out of his light sleep as the heavy footsteps of his bro came down the stairs. He smiled, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"Hey."

He stood, stretching his limbs out and wincing at the aching crick in his neck- he'd fallen asleep in chair again.

"Is it time for my shift?"

Looking at Sam's face for the first time,Louis instantly knew something had happened. The koopa took a hard swallow before speaking with an unusually soft edge to his voice.

"Mario's here."

Louis was already up the stairs before Sam had even finished.

OoOoOoOoO

Zenobia soundlessly stalked through the silent hallways of the lower regions of Mushroom Castle. According to that idiotic politician (who had sent those corpses lying in the man's foyer) he had placed her in one of the dungeons lining the passage way behind the third painting on the left.

She mentally snorted as she rounded the corner; to think that this entire mess had started simply because a man was trying to rise higher in the ranks of politics! It was truly amazing what people would do for power…

But of course, she had to remember what she had sacrificed for her magic…

The female finally entered the hallway the politicians mind had spoken of. Zenobia mentally scorned the foolishness of the castle's occupants (whose bright idea it was to place priceless paintings in a moldy and leaky dungeon!) as she carefully pulled back the canvas of Queen Arania the third, watched it fall apart, and stepped gracefully into the passageway.

A single grey door resided at the end of the long hallway, a bright splash of red across the doorframe setting it out from the numerous others. Zenobia would've laughed if the situation wasn't as serious as it.

_Someone had a taste for the dramatic._

She swiftly strode down the hallway, unbolted the locks, andflung the door open. Daisy was leaning against the back wall, looking all the world she had been expecting the ambassador, despite the dirt on her dull dress and sleepiness in her eyes.

"So they sent you. Why am I not surprised." Daisy drawled, raising an eyebrow.

Zenobia smirked. "Shall we be going?"

The princess walked towards her, arms crossed, and bare feet pattering on the stone floor.

"Depends on if you're going to try to kill me again in an alleyway somewhere."

Zen snorted, rolling her eyes.

"That was a one-time thing. Besides, I'm retired now. "

It was Daisy's turn to snort. "Retired? One-time thing? One, you tried to kill me twice, and really, retirement just doesn't seem like your thing."

"True. But I was hired by the royal family. I'm not here to kill. Don't even have my license anymore."

"Never stopped you before."

"Look, you coming willingly or do I have to force you?"

As an answer, the princess strode passed her once- friend and into the passageway, her head held high. Zenobia merely smirked and followed.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_Grrr… I looked back and read all my old chapters and noticed that THEY WERE HORRIBLE! Sniff sniff…  
But meh. It is my first. And, now that I know, I can try to make it all it fit in. _

_First of all, anybody know what 'there' in the first part is? Review with guesses!_

_Also review if you want me to put the history between Zenobia and Daisy, Lacy and Louis, or both._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: So… much… I…. don't own…. Why… can't… I own… Nintendo….*sobs and collapses*

Chapter 11

By Healer Kira

It was early in the morning, still dark and the stars shining brightly when Mario finally made to the small familiar stone building that was the border office. Striding in without hesitation, he looked the single border bro dead in the eye.

"Where is my brother." A quiet, but firm demand.

The bro gulped as he stared into the deadly calm face of the older Mario bro. He held up one finger and quickly opened up a hidden trap door beneath his feet, disappearing down a stairway. A few seconds later, he was back up with his partner in tow. While the first stepped up on to the ground floor, on level with Mario, the second stayed at the top of the stairwell, just looking at him, as if sizing Mario up before sighing and beckoning him down.

"You can see him, but he's sleeping, so you can't talk to him yet."

The koopa led him down a flight of soil-made stairs into an earthy room. Mario didn't bother looking around; as soon as his guide stepped aside, he made his way to the bed straight in front of the stairs, and stood, just staring down at his slumbering brother. A small smile crept on to him face, and his shoulders slumped in relief, even as he observed Luigi's pale skin, the bandages covering most of his stomach, and the pain lines that creased his gentle features. Nothing could dull the flood of relief Mario felt as he took in the fact that his brother was _alive_, wonderfully, delightfully alive.

The man reached out a shaking hand and took Luigi's hand in his own, rubbing comforting circles with his thumb. He heard the screech of chairs behind him, and one gently bumped the back of his knees. Mario sat down, never letting go of his brother's warm palm. He swallowed roughly, not turning to the pair still standing behind him.

"How- how can I ever repay you. "

One spoke up immediately, almost eager to speak.

"You don't have to pay us anything!"

"But-"

"No payment is necessary." The koopa who had spoken before said softly. "Knowing such a kind man will live on is payment enough."

"He'll be alright?"

"He's making a fine recovery."

Mario's smile widened and he closed his eyes briefly, relieved.

"Would you be kind enough as to tell your names?"

A pause, then,

"I'm Louis, and my partner's Sam."

"Nice to meet you both."

"The same."

Luigi murmured something , and he pulled his hand out of Mario's , instead crossing his arms over his torso, hugging his chest. Hie eyes were scrunched tight, and he whimpered, muttering under his breath. Mario gingerly laid a hand on his shoulder and Luigi flinched away, whimpering.

"He's dreaming again." Louis said quietly, answering Mario's unspoken question. " It happens every night. Luigi never wakes up during them either. He'll stay like this til morning, then awake like nothing happened."

Mario licked his chapped lips, wanting to reach out to his brother again, but afraid of the same reaction.

"Do you have any idea what happened to him?"

Pushing away the hurt of rejection, he placed one hand on the sleeping man's shoulder. Luigi flinched, but didn't move away.

"Not really. He did say that his friend was killed, however. I assume that the friend was Princess Daisy?"

Mario nodded, more focused on his brother than the conversation. "Yeah, they're really close."

Then the full meaning of the koopas words hit him. The red clothed man craned his neck back to look at Louis, his mind automatically noting that Sam was gone.

"Princess Daisy's dead!?" Louis nodded sadly and Mario turned back to his brother, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

_God Luigi, why did you have to go? And why did I have to be such an idiot in the first place?_

He raised his head again, looking at his brother's thin form in sorrow, but says nothing. There was a small rustle of paper and the koopa said,

"He won't be awake until morning. I'd suggest getting some rest too; Luigi's been through a lot and it wouldn't be good if you tried to run off and kill some stupid people."

"What 'do you mean?"

A pause, then

"I think it would be best if Luigi told you."

Mario swallowed. There was a low pounding of boots as Louis went up the stairs again, then silence. They were alone.

Pale blue, exhausted eyes traced over the bandages covering Luigi's side one more, before shutting tightly. A gloved hand made its way into the scratched one of the injured man, and Mario collapsed onto the bedspread, crying for his failure.

His failure to protect his brother, the only one left.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_I'm bummed out now and listening to sad songs. The rules on FF are getting stricter and stricter. I'm sad. _

_Oh , and James Birdsong, I know. I don't like those first two chaps either._

_No flashbacks in this chapter. It just didn't seem right because the whole thing was in Mario's POV. Any guesses__? At all to where Lacy was so excited about__? _

_I would really like some reviews..._


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Ah, flashbacks… I wished I owned them… Just like I don't own Nintendo… because I really hate… flashbacks…

Chapter 12

By Healer Kira

The past is a burden, hanging over the wounded like a painful veil…

OoOoOoO

"_There it is!"_

_Lacy raced ahead, leaving a startled Louis in the dust._

"_Hey! Wait up!" He panted at the new speed as he raced forward, zipping past several sharp wedges of rock jutting outwards from the wall. Flashes of Lacy's scarf were his only guide. Suddenly, she stopped, and Louis crashed into the girl, forcing both forward into the hard ground_

"_Louis!" Lacy groaned. "Get off!"_

_She shoved him off, and Louis just laid there, groaning. Her amused face appeared in his line of vision, and she reached out a hand._

"_You know, usually people stop when someone else is standing in front them."_

_He took the hand and she pulled him up, smirking._

"_Well usually people warn each other when they're going to suddenly stop for no reason." Louis retorted._

_Then he looked up._

_The room they were in was absolutely gorgeous; to call it beautiful would be an insult. Crystals covered the place like a blanket, light from the hanging lamps bouncing off the gems creating blue, purple and red sparkles of color all over on his face. It was all he could do to stare._

_Lacy laughed. "Impressed I trust you know what this stuff is."_

_He nodded, "Reti kristāla .Rarest gem in the world. Extremely reactant to water, and is sought out magicians everywhere. How did you find this? "_

"_Lou, we've been exploring the tunnel for god knows long now. How does everybody find stuff like this?"_

_They looked at each other and grinned._

"_Found it looking for gold!" _

_Chuckling, he took a few more steps into the room. _

"_So, do-"_

_Quite abruptly he stopped, staring at the small crack in the uncrystalized portion of the wall._

"_Louis, what's wrong-"_

"_Stay over there!"_

_The small footsteps that were starting to come near stopped. He swallowed, taking a deep breath as he trying to calm down._

"_Lacy, move back towards the door. Please, I beg you, don't ask why."_

_A pause, and then he heard quiet steps moving away. He gulped, stepping forward and stopping the stream of slightly tinted water with his boot. _

"_Louis, please, what's wrong?"_

_Louis didn't answer, staring down at the small, but growing puddle at his foot._

"_Louis!_?"

"_What is straight above from here?" His voice was strained, worried- a far cry from his earlier tone._

_Her voice was quiet, but just as worried."…Lake Blacktail. I looked it up on the map-"_

_A pause, and then Lacy cursed-a startling action, she never cursed- but Louis didn't react, just staring._

"_Louis, I am telling you right now, don't be the self-sacrificial bastard you're trying to be, come here right now, we can make it out." _

"_You know that's never going to work."_

_The wall was right beside him; he didn't have to reach out and touch it. The second he moved, they would all be blow sky high. _

_It was startling to realize if he hadn't interfered, the would've had a better chance of living._

_Another pause and then a flurry of footsteps. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he was yanked toward the door, being bodily dragged away from the small stream._

"_Lacy-"_

"_I will not let you do this! Come on!"_

_OoOoOoOoO_

It was delightfully warm and soft. Luigi wasn't quite sure what these beds were made of, but whatever it was, it was heavenly. Plus, he hadn't had many nightmares. It was a miracle just not having many, to have none would mean he was dead.

He opened his eyes with a smile, and sat up with a yawn, stretching, before turning his head, about to say hello-

He froze.

The man beside him gulped nervously.

"Luigi."

Luigi took a deep breath and calmed his self, unconsciously drawing his legs up to his chest. He had to stay calm in this. He'd known Mario would find him eventually…

Of course, that didn't mean he hadn't had hopes that Mario wouldn't.

"Mario,"

The silence that followed was tense, awkward. It hung in the air like a cloud of smog-

'_Waiting to kill us all' _Luigi couldn't help thinking.

Finally, it was Mario who spoke first.

"Why'd cha do it, Weegee?"

His voice was sad, sorrowful, yet almost accusing. Luigi wished he'd get mad at that-My fault!? You drove me away in the first place Mario!- But he didn't . He stared at the comforting sapphire blanket, anxiety twisting his insides to pieces.

"I- I don't know what you mean." He purposely ignored the fact that he was avoiding the question.

"Why did you just… disappear like that? I..." Mario trailed off, unsure what to say.

"You should know." There was a still a bitter edge to his voice, no matter how much Luigi tried to keep it out.

"I…I don't know, Luigi, as much as I try to understand it. I mean, I know it's my fault… at least in part. I drove you out… right?"

Luigi closed his eyes tightly. He would have loved to blame it all on Mario, say that he drove him to break out of his own home…. But…. No. in the days he had been away, he had matured. Instead of placing everything of his brothers already loaded shoulders, he had to take this onto his self. He was responsible for his own actions, right? This was his own fault… now, Luigi realized, all he had to do was convince Mario of the fact.

He took a deep breath, trying to soothe his racing emotions, and opened his eyes, turning his gaze to his brother's worried face.

"Mario… none of this is your fault; the blame should be placed on me. If I had acted like a mature adult, sat down and talked with you about wanting to move to the BeanBean Kingdom, this could've all gone much smoother than it did. Instead, I just walked in, told you what I was doing, and, like anybody would, you started asking questions, disapproving an action from experience you knew would most likely be foolish, and consequential. I acted like a child, and for that I apologize, though I'm not sure how you will ever be able to forgive me for my rash and stupid actions."

He took a deep breath, ready to continue with his condemning speech, when Mario abruptly cut in.

"Luigi, I knew that moving wouldn't be bad! It was good that you were trying to get out a little more. It just…. You're my brother. I can't imagine life without you by my side, bro. I know, well, people don't really treat you as well as they should because, well, you're always at home… I've always tried to keep you out of trouble, out of harm's way… and because of that, you never get as much limelight as you should. I've been a selfish, arrogant person your whole life. This is all my fault."

"That's not true-"

"Yes it is!"

"But if I hadn't reacted the way I did-"

"To the over the top angry reaction I had? Weegee, I was- and am still- the one at fault here. You acted like any other person would of, furious that their older brother thought he still had any authority over him. Stop blaming yourself."

Luigi was silent, arms around his legs and chin upon his knees as he stared at the tousled comforter at his feet.

Finally, after a long silence, he spoke.

"Mario, I have something to tell you."

His voice was rough sounding, a soft rasp that echoed off the empty walls. It was strangely ominous.

Mario attempted a weak smile.

"What is it Weegee?"

Luigi gulped, his eyes looking far off, as if in a daze. He was slowly beginning to rock back in forth.

"I… I…" A choked sob escaped his lips.

"I killed…" The man took a deep breath, shutting eyes tightly and burying his face in his knees.

Though his face was covered, Mario could every word.

"I –I killed Daisy."

And so the story of that painful night poured out of him, leaving Mario absolutely speechless, as Luigi rocked on, beside him, tears trailing down his pale and sunken cheeks.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_I've been making up the quotes at the beginning of chapters myself. Are they okay, at least?_

_Er, for the record, the girls name is LACY. L-A-C-Y. I just really need to reiterate that to myself._

_The 'found it looking gold' is an inside joke between them. Truthfully, I actually like the first part of the chapter for once; it was fun(though difficult) to write. _

_Review!  
_


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I really hate disclaimers. They make me tell people I don't own stuff, like Nintendo. I mean, how do disclaimers know if I own Nintendo or not?

Chapter 13

By Healer Kira

Recovery can be easy, or it can be hard. Most times it's neither, shooting past hard into the realms of 'impossible'.

OoOoOoOoO

Mario was still in his seat beside Luigi's bed. He hadn't moved an inch, just staring blankly at the wall, his mind still struggling to process everything. His brother has fallen back to sleep a few minutes ago, tired out from the episode.

He just couldn't believe it. He could believe it, but he couldn't either. As a matter of fact, he did believe it, he just didn't want to.

Luigi had _killed _a person. At least, that's what he'd said, right? Maybe he'd misheard. Luigi could've said he killed a rabbit, not a person, an animal. Maybe he said Daisy fell over, and stabbed herself. Yeah, that could've been it-

No. Mario took a deep breath, running one hand down his unshaven face tiredly. He had to face the facts. Cackleletta had tried to kill his brother, and Luigi had killed her in self-defense. From what he'd heard, it had been an accident. Yet, Mario knew this was going to be hard on his brother. He had been forced to kill his best friend, for God sakes. Not to mention that friend had also been trying to kill him at the same time.

Goodness, he wished this-

_Stop that, _Mario scolded his self. _Stop wishing, and thinking of the what-ifs. That's not going to help your brother. It does nothing but distract you from the actual problem._

Footsteps pounded down the stairs and Mario looked up, weary blue eyes following Louis to the coffee maker on the rough stone counter. The koopa filled up one cup of it plain, then glanced over at Mario.

"Coffee?"

He nodded, too exhausted to try and be polite. "Black."

Louis poured another cuppa and walked over, handing the man his coffee before pulling up another seat from the table and sitting down, gazing at the sleeping man with sorrowful eyes.

"He's told ya?"

Mario nodded.

"Mind if I ask what happened?"

"He hasn't already told you?"

"Nope. Not the truth, I know. Didn't want to press him on it. "

"Ah."

Mario paused for a moment, thinking, then finally sighed.

"I might as well tell you." He took a long draught of his coffee before continuing.

"Luigi was betrayed by a friend. She attacked and tried to kill him, and he killed her in self-defense."

"An accident, I assume. "He sounded as though he spoke from experience, voice tired and sad, unaccusing.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_BOOM!_

"_Lacy!"_

"…"

"_LACY!"_

"…_Lou…"_

"_Lacy! OH god, oh god… Lacy, don't worry, we're gonna get out of this! They had to have heard the explosion up there! Come on Lace, stay with me…"_

"…_Lou… please… it hurts…hurts…" _

" _Don't worry Lace, we're gonna get out of this…"_

"…_please.. hurts…"_

"_It's okay Lacy, they're gonna come, don't worry…"_

"…_please… take it away… kill…" _

"_Lacy, please, don't do this Lacy, please ,don't ask me..."_

_OoOoOoOoO_

"The friend was Princess Daisy, wasn't it?"

Mario couldn't even act surprised." It was."

He took a sip of the coffee, immediately feeling energized. Louis saw his surprise and smiled.

"It's made with a special kind of coffee bean that grows underground. Drink it all you want and it never fails to give you a boost." He took a sip of his own coffee.

Mario stared down at the dark steaming liquid in the cup, biting his lip before finally saying,

"Will he recover?"

Louis looked up, and the man met his gaze with scared blue eyes.

"I mean… Can he heal? Is it possible to recover?"

Louis looked down for a moment staring at the ground with a strange expression.

Finally, he sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you: it's gonna be hard. He's gonna be blaming his self for this whole thing, first thing to do would be to make sure to tell him that no one blames him for what happened. It's not his fault. After that, most of its up to him- he's gotta be the one to heal himself after that. You can only be a support, helping him where you can. That's what Sam did for me for a while."

He didn't say any more, still looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry." Louis gaze rocketed back up to Mario, who was looking at him, not with pity, but respect. "I don't know what you've been through, I don't know what happened, and I'm not going to ask. I know whatever it was, it might have been similar to what Weegee's been through, and because of that, you give me hope. I hope that one day, my brother will heal, and we could all put this behind us."

The koopa smiled, his gaze dropping once more. He stood up abruptly, as if remembering something he'd forgotten, and set his mug on the floor, walking over to the kitchen counter and snatching up a paper.

He dropped it into Mario's lap. "You might want to read this." The anger in his voice, contrasting with the weariness in his face surprised the man. Mario carefully unfolded the paper, his eyes narrowing, and lips forming a scowl as he read the small black writing printed on wrinkled paper. A few moments later, he was up and storming towards the door; Louis stopped him before he even took three steps.

"Don't."

"I'm just going to kill them in the slowest and most painful ways possible. "he growled, baring his teeth as he tried to force past the strong koopa. Louis was stubborn, however.

"You'll be leaving your brother. Do you really want to do that in his time of need?"

All the fight when out of Mario and he allowed Louis to guide him back to his chair. He stared blankly down at the ground, determinedly refusing to meet the other's eyes.

Louis sighed, rubbing his chin tiredly. "Mario, I know how you feel. I read the damn thing too, and I want to kill them as slow as possible." He sighed again. "But we can't. One, its illegal, and ya can't help a traumatized man in jail. Two, it's not gonna really affect him unless he goes back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Many people over here don't read Mushroom Kingdom newspapers, and those who do wouldn't believe even a half of what it said." He stood and stretched, yawning.

'Look, just think on it. "He placed his cup on the counter beside a small gray sink and walked to the stairs."And get some sleep, I know you didn't get any last night. There's a bed over there; use it."

He disappeared up the stairs and Mario sighed, copying the koopas actions and collapsing onto the spare bed. The boost of the coffee had already disappeared, leaving just as exhausted, if not worse.

The man slowly fell into the soft caresses of sleep, the first relief he had received in in what had seemed like an eternity of worry.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_How was the chapter? Good, I hope. Maybe. I don't know._

_I'm still angry at myself because every time I try type to 'Lacy' I type Lucy. Sigh… hey, everyone makes mistakes, right? We can't call ourselves names because of simple mistakes. After all, we're all human. _

_Authors complaints: the ending of the Lacy\Louis flashbacks. I was trying to hint that Lou had been knocked out, awoke surrounded by rubble, and worried for his friend. then he found her fatally injured, and either killed her or watched her die slowly… which one? I shall not say. Guess._

_I guess I'm planning on ending this with a happy ending… you know, Luigi all healed up and Mario escorting his to BeanBean Town. Mario heads back to the Mushroom kingdom, and everything is happily ever after. Might even add in an epilogue. Of course, if I do, Weegee's gonna get killed. I can tell you that already. If I don't add the epilogue, it'll just be a happy ending. _

_So, happy or sad ending? Review!_


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer:*Sniff*…. An end… to the disclaimers… telling you stuff you already know…like... NINTENDO! WHY CAN'T I OWN YOU!

Chapter 14

By Healer Kira

And so at last, this blasted journey is over; enemies now defeated, friends left with goodbyes, and now all that is left are the unpleasant memories…

Am I glad to be home!

OoOoOoOoO

It was three days later when the pair of brothers finally left the Border Bros.

Luigi was completely healed, only a slight limp to his gait that Louis assured would vanish with time. Mario still had dark bags under his eyes, but seemed energetic all the same. Of course, as energetic as one could be after staying up all night.

The brothers had insisted on taking over Louis and Sam's job the night before they left, saying the Bros deserved a break from having no sleep for the past two weeks. Louis had protested, but finally gave up when Sam fell asleep in the middle of the conversation, and both headed off to bed.

The conversation the Mario Bros had afterward was tense, to say the least, yet after a lot of talking (most of which was yelling and hissed arguments) Luigi had gotten his way. They were not going back to the Mushroom Kingdom, instead, they were heading to BeanBean Town. Yet, though the man in green came away smirking with victory, he couldn't help feeling Mario was hiding something…

After saying slightly tearful goodbyes, they set off that morning,and by mid-day, the two had were already made it to the outskirts of Chucklehuck Woods. Though Luigi wanted to keep on going, Mario forced him to stop, seeing how his injuries were bothering him.

For a while the two just sat there, relaxing. Finally, Luigi nervously cleared his throat.

"Er, the new place is not far from here. I can make it on my own."

Mario forced his self to not automatically say no, remembering his mental oath-_give him space, he's not a child- _and replied.

"Well only if you're sure. And if you promise to write when you finally get settled in." He didn't want to make it seem like he _wanted _to let him go on ahead. He wanted to be with his brother as long as he could- but, he had to remind his self, that desire was what got them in to this in the first place.

Luigi smiled at him" Don't worry, I will. "he paused." "Thanks bro."

They both stood and Mario roughly pulled his brother in to tight hug, smiling( though it didn't quite reach his eyes) and blinking furiously.

With that, the brothers parted, one heading forward and the other turning back. Neither were truly happy, instead weary and sad, and yet one day, they knew the past would be forgotten and the bright future would prevail over the memories of grief.

OoOoOoOoO

The house was beautiful, a bit small, but serving its purpose. He walked up to the building, stumbling on a small, almost hidden step, and rustled around in his pocket a moment before pulling out a thin piece of metal triumphantly.

The small silver key fitted itself into the lock, opening it with a _snick. _The thick oak door swung open with nary a creak or groan and Luigi stepped in, a tired smile shining on his face as he closed the door behind him. No bags did he have, nor possessions, but he was happy.

There were a few pieces of furniture in the house, and Luigi simply plopped his self into the nearest one- an arm chair- relaxing, closing his eyes as he sunk to the soft cushions. It didn't matter if there was a bed, it didn't matter if the door was left unlocked- he was going to sleep right where he was , no if and or buts about it.

A smile came to his tired face, though marred by old lines of grief, shining brightly through

He had made it, after going through hell and all it could throw, he had had made to the place he would finally call home.

OoOoOoO

Princess Daisy of Sarsaland sighed, finally shutting the door to her bedroom after a long day of assurances and headaches. Ever since her kidnapping- only accomplished because they were cowards, she insisted several times- the princess had been stuck reassuring her many subjects, both royal and common that _no, _she was not dead, _no, _this did not signal an invasion from the Mushroom Kingdom, and many other annoyingly obvious things that she didn't even want to think of.

Finally, Daisy managed to excuse herself from the conference, and made her way to her room, sighing and _really _wanting a drink. Instead, the female made her way to her desk.

'The work of a princess is never done.' she thought tiredly.

Then, Daisy spotted the newspaper on her desk, the colored photo of a obscenely murdered body plastered across the front page.

**Her **murdered body.

_OoOoOoOoO_

_Anyhow, I really need to learn foresight. I did not expect to end itl ike that, to tell the truth. How was it? Enjoy it? Not sure? Good. _

_To those who asked, no, there is not a reason. I just like tragedy and violence, and I'm good at writing it. _

_Review! Ideas and requests are welcome!_


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Yeah, I lied. NO OWNAGE. Ka peich?

Chapter 15

Epilogue

By Healer Kira

OoOoOoO

As the weeks passed, he began to feel even more at home in the house. It was one story, having two bedrooms and a bath, a large living room and moderate kitchen. Large, cozy, and comfortable, Luigi couldn't help but like it.

Settling in had been a bit rocky in the start, as he arrived with no belongings or furniture. Luckily, the house had been equipped with the essentials; a bed, a few pieces of living room furniture, and the kitchen was fully stocked with a fridge, stove, and a few other appliances.

Work had gone off surprisingly smoothly, despite the delay in arriving, and after a few a few weeks of living off the food Louis and Sam had forced upon him, he had received his first pay check, enabling him to stock the kitchen with food and but other necessities.

The only thing that threatened his happiness was the nightmares. They plagued him every night. Dark circles hung under his eyes from lack of sleep, and he often woke up crying during the night. Yet, he never let it damper his mood, forcing himself to think of brighter things.

Mario sent a package with a few of his personal items in it the first week, along with a letter asking about the new place and how he was settling in. Luigi couldn't have helped sadly smiling. Though he was happy to finally be on his own, he missed his brother, who used to be a constant comforting presence, always there when he needed help.  
They exchanged letter every week, always keeping in touch.

Finally, Luigi was beginning to put the horrible events of the past behind him.

OoOoOoO

He whistled merrily as he walked down the pathway, pausing to retrieve his mail from the front step. Luigi smiled; another letter from Mario. Opening the door as he flipped through his mail, he never noticed the orange colored motorcycle parked a few feet from the front door, hidden partially by the bushes.

He threw the bills on the kitchen counter and made his way down the hallway, passing the living room his way to the bath.

Hi, Luigi."

He froze, and slowly turned.

She was wearing her motorcycle suit, her hair wild and her eyes the same color of warm blue he had always loved. The female gazed at him sadly, a strange look in her eyes as she took a step forward. Luigi took a step back, pressing his fingers to the sides of his head as it shook back and forth wildly.

"No no no…"

Daisy reached out one hand, as if to comfort him, but hesitated. It dropped back to her side.

"I know you might be confused-"

"Confused? Not one month ago I saw you die!" He hissed, hands now clenched into fists at his side as he glared at her for the resurrection.

A moment later the digits unclenched, hanging limp.

"Now you're here to haunt me…" Luigi muttered grimly.

"No no! Luigi…"

She sighed.

"Look, why don't we go and sit down?"

She walked back into the living room without waiting for answer. After a moment's hesitation, he followed cautiously, sitting down on the edge of the newly bought couch. She took the armchair.

"Luigi, that woman you kill- saw die-"

"I murdered her."

His words were flat, self-loathing dripping from his tone.

"It was an accident."

"But a murder all the same."

She sighed.

"Either way, it wasn't real. A fake body, molded to look like me. I was kidnapped by some political freak trying to get higher ranks. Not sure how that idiot thought that would work…"

Her attempt at humor was ignored as Luigi stubbornly set his gaze at the floor.

"I was held in a dungeon for over 2 weeks. It couldn't have been me. I-"

"What do you want Daisy?" He cut in abruptly, looking up wearily.

She blinked, looking surprised.

"I don't-

"You must have a reason, or at least want something from me. It's been since weeks that happened; why are you suddenly deciding to come _now _and tell me all of this?"

"I just thought you had a right to know-"

"Weeks, Daisy!"

"I was scared! I didn't know how you'd react-"

"Oh right, I might of tried to kill you again."

He buried his gaze in his hands. Daisy seemed at a loss for words.

Finally he said quietly,

"Every night since that I've been having nightmares. Everyone's dead, Mario, Peach, you- I killed them all. And there's just so much blood…"

He bit back a sob, his shoulders trembling. Daisy hesitatingly reached towards him. Before she could touch, he stood up abruptly, his eyes watery.

"Please. Go."

She opened her mouth, but closed it, standing up and allowing Luigi to walk her towards the door. Walking out, Daisy turned and looked up at his impassive features.

"Can we meet up tomorrow? At the café in town? "

"I don't think-"

"Please?"

She looked at him pleadingly, and Luigi looked away, not saying anything but giving an almost imperceptible nod. The door slammed in her face.

Luigi walked back to the living room and sat down, slumping. The roar of a motorcycle started up outside, before slowly fading away. She was gone.

He wasn't sure how to feel about this. He was… angry, that she had come and told him this now. After weeks of thinking such horrible things… Luigi had been too scared to even look at any newspaper, afraid his face would be plastered across the front cover, marking him as a criminal. But, he was also happy, joyful. Daisy was alive! He hadn't killed anyone! His friend was still living, and he had only destroyed an apparition of sorts. But it had felt so real…

The mix-up emotions twisted inside his stomach like a knot of seaweed.

Sighing, Luigi rubbed at his weary eyes. He had said he would meet her at the café tomorrow- should he actually show up? He shouldn't, really… but he so desperately wanted to, an ache in his chest twanging just at the thought of not seeing her.

He stood, walking to the kitchen to get a glass of tap water. He hadn't quite decided much of anything to calm his whirring mind, but he could think later. Now was a time of rest.

Luigi's heart had healed just the lightest bit more from seeing her, whether he knew it or not.

_OoOoOoO_

_Marg. I hate the ending. BLEARGE. But how do you people like it? I tried. _

_Review!_


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